Combined bottle closure and liquid withdrawal device



March 14, 1939. MQFFAT 2,150,862

COMBINED BOTTLE CLOSURE AND LIQUID WITHDRAWAL DEVICE Filed April 27,1937 30 P30 3:? 1.1 a I v afibwizgy Patented Mar. 14, 1939 UNITED STATESPATENT oF-Fics Albert S. Moffat, Watertown, Mass, assignor to UnitedWater Cooler Service, Inc., Cambridge,

Mass, a corporation Application April 27, 1937, Serial No. 139,172

9 Claims.

This invention relates to a. combined bottle closure and liquidwithdrawal device.

One object of my invention is to provide a device having a stoppermember which may be 5 readily inserted into the neck of a bottle orother container and then expanded until it is tightly compressed againstthe interior surface of the neck or delivery opening of the bottle, andafterwards contracted to normal condition and removed therefrom, makingsuch use of it repeatedly. Another object is to combine with saidstopper portion a faucet so connected that liquid may be readilywithdrawn at will from said container while said stopper portion is insaid ex- 15 panded position therein.

A further object is to so construct said device that it is simple toassemble and use,and is relatively inexpensive to produce.

The increasing use by the consumer of spring 20 water and otherbeverages, which are usually delivered in large bottles, has madeespecially urgent the long felt need for sucha combined device that ispractical from a manufacturing standpoint and acceptable tothe consumerbecause of its general simplicity and ease of operation, and it has beenmy main object tocreate a device that achieves these ends.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of theinvention is better understood, may be accomplished by-aconstruction,combination and operative arrangement of parts such as is disclosed bythe drawing and specification. The nature of the invention is such as torender it susceptible to various changes and 35 modifications, and,therefore, I am not to be limited to said disclosure; but am entitled toall such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claims.

In the drawing:

40 Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my device connected to acontainer or bottle, the latter being shown broken away.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional View of my device connected to acontainer, the latter being 45 shown broken away.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 7 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

50 As illustrated, part of my device, when in normal condition, mayreadily be inserted in the neck of a bottle B, and is held there bymeans of an expansible, hollow, ring-like, stopper member 15, which ispreferably made of ..a rubber com- .55 position or otheryieldablematerial. Said stopper member l5 has an outer flange orshoulder I51; which is outside said bottle B and bears against theoutside end of the said bottle neckas shown in Figures 1 and 2 of thedrawing, being too large to enter said bottle neck. Fitted into and ex--;.5

tending part way into said stopper member is a hollow, cylindrical,metalmember or bushing I6 which has a solid end portion I8 through whicha central opening I! is made, the portion of said end portionsurrounding said opening ll 10 being screw" threaded. Said end portionl8 also has a plurality of outlet openings l8a therethrough to permitthe escape of the liquid from the bottle B. Said end-portion l8 has aprojecting portion l9 outside of said stopper mem- ,15 her It whichforms a shoulder that bears against the inner end of saidstopper memberl5.

My device has a body or outer member 22, preferably'made of metal, whichextends partly into the outer end of said stopper member I5; but isdefinitely spaced from said inner member or bushing I6, as illustratedin Figure 2 of the drawing, so that one may be moved towards the otherwhen it is desired totightly secure my device in said bottle B. Saidbody member 22 5 has a shoulder 23 which bears against the outer end ofsaid stopper member [5, and has a main opening 24 communicating withwhich is a faucet 26, of any well known construction, which is connectedto said body portion, preferably at the side thereof as shown in Figure2-of the drawing. Said faucet 26 has the usual handle 21 to open orclose it, and it is through this faucet-26 that the liquid in the bottleis withdrawn.

A rod or hollow tube 39 extends from one end 5 of my device to theother, having a knob or handle 3i at the outside end spaced from saidbody member- 22. Said tube is long enough to extend almost to theextremity or closed end of said bottle B, reaching beyond the maximumwater 40 line of said bottle as illustrated-in Figure 1 of the drawing,sothat'the liquid will not escape through it, and has an opening- 33which extends through said handle 3! and its entire length to permit airto enter said bottle as the liquid is withdrawn, thereby insuring asteady flow of said liquid through said faucet .26 :when it is'open.Said tubev 3D has. a threaded portion 32 which screw threadedly connectswith said threads in said bushing lfiopposite said opening l1, wherebythe turning of said tube handle 3| .in one direction screws the shoulderIQ of said bushing l6 tightly against said stopper member [5. causing'itto yield andexpand against the interiorsurface of said bottle neck to;thereby prevent the passage V of any liquid between said bottle neck andstopper member, and firmly locking my device in position in said bottleneck as shown. Turning of said handle 3| in the other direction movessaid bushing H5 in the opposite direction and saidstopper member I5returns to normal condition as the pressure on it is released, whereuponmy device can be readily removed from the bottle and placed in anotherbottle or used again when the same bottle is refilled.

To make said body member 22 tight around said tube 30 I use a screwthreaded gland nut 35 which be just as readily unlocked or released fromsaid 7 locked position. Also by the mere turning of the bears against awasher 36. Said tube 30 extends through said gland nut and said washer36; but need not be screw threadedly connected thereto.

It will thusbe seen that by merely turning said tube by said handle 3|my device is locked in position in'said container B, and, likewise, bymerely turning it in the opposite direction it may faucet handle 21 theliquid may be withdrawn from said container B, as the openings for thepassage of said liquid in my device are always maintained incommunication with each other up to the point'where the position 'of thefaucet V handle 21 controls.

My device can, of course, serve solely as a stopper, as when nowithdrawal device is desired, in which event the opening in said bodymember for the faucet may be' plugged up.

What I claim is: V

1. A device of the class described comprising a hollow expansiblestopper member, a bushing in contact with said stopper member having ascrew threaded opening therein, a hollow body member in contact withsaid stopper member having an opening therein, a rod member extendingfrom said body member into said bushing opening and having a screwthreaded portion in engagement with said bushing screw thread wherebythe turning of said rod members in one direction moves said bushing andpresses it'against said stopper member to thereby cause said stoppermember to expand, said body member having an opening therein at the sidethereof intermediateits ends, in communication with its said hollowportion,

said opening being adapted to receive a faucet.

2; A device of the class described comprising an expansible stoppermember having an opening ,therein, a bushing in contact with saidstopper member embodying a solidportion having a screw threaded openingtherein and an openingfor the passage of liquid therethrough, a bodymember in contact with said stopper member having an opening therein,said three openings being ,in communication with each other, a rodmember extending from said body member into said bushing screw threadedopening and having a screw threaded portion in engagement with saidbushing screw thread whereby, the turning of said rod member in onedirection moves said bushing and presses it against said stopper memberto thereby cause said stopper member to expand, said body member havinganother opening therein in communication with and at substantiallyia'right angle to said first-mentioned body opening adapted to receive afaucet.

, 3. A device of the class described comprising an expansible stoppermember having an opening therein, a bushing in contact with said stopper'member embodying, a solid portion having a screw threaded openingtherein and an opening for the passage of liquid therethrough, a bodymember in contact withsaid stopper member having an opening therein,said three openings being in communication with each other, a tubeextending from said body member into and beyond said bushing screwthreaded opening and having a screw threaded portion in engagement withsaid bushing screw thread whereby the turning of said tube in onedirection moves said bushing and presses it against said stopper memberto thereby cause said stopper member to expand, said tube having anopening therein extending its entire length, said body member havinganother opening therein in communication with and at substantially aright angle to said first- V mentioned body opening adapted to receive afaucet.

4. A device of the class'described comprising an expansible stoppermember having an opening therein and an outer flange at one end, abushing part of which extends into the interior of said stopper memberand part of said interior which is outside of and bears against one endof said stopper member, said bushing embodying a solid, transverseportion having an opening therein, a body member bearing against theopposite end of'said stopper member adjacent said flange having anopening therein, a rod member extending from said body member openingthrough said stopper member into said bushing opening,

.said bushing and rod member having means coso positioned that its endsmay bear on said two shoulder portions,'a tube extending through saidbody portion, stopper member and bushing, and having a screw threadedportion adapted to screw threadedly connect with, said bushing screwthreaded portion whereby the turning of said tube in one direction movessaid bushing and presses it against said stopper member to thereby causesaid stopper member to expand.

6. A device of the class described comprising a hollow expansiblestopper member embodying a shoulder portion at one end, a hollowbushing, a portion of which fits into the interior of said stoppermember, embodying a solid end portion having a screw threaded openingthereinand a plurality of other openings, said bushing end portionembodying a shoulder portion bearing against one end of said stoppermember, a body member having an opening therein, a portion of said bodymember extending into the interior of said stopper member, said bodymember embodying a shoulder portion against which the opposite end ofsaid stopper member bears, a tube having an opening extending its entirelength and embodying a screw threaded portion in engagement with saidbushing screw threaded opening, said hollow tube extending from outsideof and through the opening in said body portion,

through said stopper member and into said bushing, said tube having ahandle normally spaced from the outside end of said body portion,whereby said tube is turned to thereby press said bushing shoulderportion against said stopper member to cause it to expand.

7 A device of the class described comprising a hollow expansible stoppermember embodying a shoulder portion at one end, a hollow bushing aportion of which fits part way into the interior of said stopper memberembodying a solid end portion having a screw threaded opening therein atthe center thereof and a plurality of other openings, said bushing endportion embodying a shoulder portion outside of and bearing against oneend of said stopper member, a body member having an opening thereinextending therethrough, a portion of said body member extending into theinterior of said stopper member, said body member embodying a shoulderportion against which the opposite end of said stopper member bears, atube having an opening extending its entire length and embodying a screwthreaded portion in engagement with said bushing screw threaded opening,said hollow tube extending from outside of and through the opening insaid body portion through said stopper member and said bushing, saidtube having a handle normally spaced from the outside end of said bodyportion, whereby said tube is turned to thereby press said bushingshoulder portion against said stopper member to cause it to expand, saidbody member having another opening extending from the outside atsubstantially right angles to and in communication with itsfirst-mentioned opening and adapted to receive a faucet.

8. A device of the class described in combination with a containerhaving a hollow neck, said device comprising a stopper member having anopening therein and extending into and adjacent the interior surface ofsaid neck and having an outer flange outside of and bearing against theoutside end surface of said neck, a bushing a portion of which extendsinto the interior surface of said stopper member embodying an endportion which extends outside said stopper member into the interior ofsaid neck and bears against one end of said stopper member, said endportion having a threaded opening therein, a body member bearing againstthe opposite end of said stopper member and extending beyond the neck ofsaid bottle and having an opening therein, a rod extending through saidbody member opening and said stopper member opening and into saidbushing end portion opening embodying a screw-threaded portion inengagement with said bushing threaded opening whereby the turning ofsaid rod moves said bushing and thereby presses said bushing againstsaid stopper member to thereby cause said stopper member to expandagainst the said interior surface of said neck portion.

9. A device of the class described in combination with a containerhaving a hollow neck, said device comprising a stopper member having anopening therein extending into and adjacent the interior surface of aportion of said neck and having an outer flange outside of and bearingagainst the outside end surface of said neck, a bushing a portion ofwhich extends into the interior surface of said stopper member embodyingan end portion which extends outside said stopper member into theinterior of said neck and bears against one end of said stopper member,said end portion having a threaded opening therein and other openings, abody member bearing against the opposite end of said stopper memberoutside of said bottle neck, a portion of which extends into theinterior of said stopper member and a portion extending beyond the neckof said bottle and having an opening therein, a tube extending throughsaid body member opening, said stopper member opening and into saidbushing end portion opening embodying a screw-threaded portion inengagement with said bushing threaded opening whereby the turning ofsaid tube moves said bushing and thereby presses said bushing againstsaid stopper member to thereby cause said stopper member to expandagainst the said interior surface of said neck portion, said tube havingan opening therein extending its entire length, said tube extendingbeyond said container neck into the body of said container to a pointadjacent to and spaced from, the end of said container.

ALBERT S. MOFFAT.

' CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTIONo Patent No. 2,150,862, March 1h, 1959.

of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2,second column, line 21, claim LL, strike out the words "said interior"and insert the same before "and" in line 22, same claim; and that thesaid Letters Pat- Signed and sealed this 2nd day of May, Au DC 1959.

Henry Van Arsdal-e (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patentso

